


Masterminds

by Misanagi



Series: Masterminds [12]
Category: Gundam Wing/AC
Genre: Accion, Alternate Universe, Drama, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-01-04
Updated: 2010-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-05 19:18:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misanagi/pseuds/Misanagi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Safety is only an  illusion. Unexpected events can happen anytime anywhere. The key is learning  how to deal with them, and face them head on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU, School fic, violence, action. Sequel to "Shattered Glass"
> 
> Fusion with the movie "Masterminds".
> 
> Thanks a lot to Anne for beta reading.

It was only a little after five in the morning. The sky was colored by a soft blue glow, leaving some stars still visible. Quatre kept his eyes trained on the window. Venus was shining brightly, signaling the immediate rise of the sun. Quatre always thought Venus was a lonely planet; it's only function was preceding the sun. When he had been in Mexico the year before, he had learnt that for the Mayas, Venus represented duality. For them it was a morning and an evening start that, after disappearing ninety days in the underworld, emerged again: Death and rebirth.

Quatre blinked a couple of times. His brain was never focused this early in the morning. He suppressed a yawn and straightened his posture. His father wasn't in a very good mood and Quatre wasn't going to give him more reason to be angry with him. That was why Quatre was standing in front of his father's desk, fully dressed in his school uniform, his hair combed away from his face and his chin held high. He had been waiting for the last ten minutes for his father to finish a business call. It wasn't a good day to be in trouble. His father was flying this morning to Boston to finish one of his bigger deals he had ever made. And for a company as big as Winner Entertainment, that was saying something.

His father finished the call and turned his attention to Quatre. "I'm very disappointed in you, Quatre. You should know better than pulling these stunts at your school. You are a Winner, my heir, and the only male in the family. You are supposed to set an example and for that, you need to be on your best behavior." It was a speech that Quatre knew well. Every time he got into trouble his father would remind him about who he was, his responsibilities and his family name. Quatre had learnt that it was easier to just nod and look repentant than to try to argue with his father; that never got him anywhere.

"Could you possibly tell me why you would try to steal parts from the principal's car? I did not raise you to be a thief, Quatre. You are lucky that she didn't report you and your friend to the police." Quatre nodded. He knew that telling his father that he and Duo were not stealing parts from Lady Une's car was useless. They were actually returning what they had borrowed earlier. No one was supposed to even notice that some parts had been missing for a few hours. It was too bad that the security guard had caught a glimpse of Duo's braid under the car. Lady Une hadn't been pleased with the news of what they had done. She had sentenced them to detention after and before school hours for the next week and she had contacted their parents.

"She says that you are in probation now. If you are even reprimanded, you will be suspended. Is that what you want, Quatre?"

"No, Sir."

"I just don't get it. You don't need to go around stealing things. You are smart and I have taught you well. Those investments you made with the money your mother left you well very well thought out. You got that bike of yours and have enough left in the bank. I just don't see why you didn't simply buy what you needed."

It wasn't a question of money but of necessity. Duo needed the parts at that precise moment and they couldn't simply skip school to go to the store. Well, maybe they could, but as Duo had said, where was the fun in that?

"I don't have time for this now, Quatre. My flight leaves in thirty minutes so I have to get going. I expect you to be on your best behavior while I'm away. I haven't discarded the option of the boarding school yet, Quatre. Think about it."

Quatre remained standing in the same spot until he heard his father exit the front door. "Great," he said with a heavy sigh as he loosened his tie. It was better that he stayed out of trouble for a while. If there was something he didn't want to do, it was leaving his home to go to a boarding school.

After stopping at his room to get his radio, Quatre went down to the dining room. A plate of cereal and a glass of juice was waiting for him on the table. He sat down and began to eat lazily. He still had some time before he needed to get to school. Thanks to his father he had woken up earlier than necessary. A wicked smile crossed his face and he pressed the talk button on the radio, bringing it close to his mouth. "Duo, if I have to be up this early then I demand that you get up too." Quatre waited a moment but no answer came. He wasn't expecting one; he needed to make a lot more noise before Duo would be annoyed enough to pick up the radio and reply.

"Zero Four to Zero Two. Come in Zero Two." It had been Heero's idea to give them code numbers. At first Quatre had thought that it was a bit silly but he had discovered that talking in code could be very useful sometimes; especially when they were in the presence of others. Of course, that only made the rest of the school look at them weirdly but Quatre and his friends were already used to that; they were an odd lot.

"I just got the lecture," continued Quatre after drinking a sip of juice. "At least it was a short one today. He is playing the boarding school card again."

"What? Over a stupid detention?" Duo still sounded a bit sleepy but it was obvious that he was concerned. "He is not serious, right, Q?"

"He said we'll talk when he gets back," answered Quatre. "He's going to be in Boston for the next week."

"He is not checking out boarding schools there, is he?" Trowa's voice was hoarse. He had obviously just woken up and was probably still in bed.

"No, he is handling a merger proposal with Romefeller Networks." Quatre leaned on his chair; the sun was finally coming up and the sky was turning brighter. He couldn't see Venus anymore.

"Quatre will talk him out of it. He always does." Wufei's voice sounded on the radio. "Now would you please stop this yapping? Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Oh, come on, Wufei. If Quatre and I have to be up, I don't see why the rest of you shouldn't." Duo still sounded sleepy and Quatre had no doubts that he was still under the covers and talking with his eyes closed.

"Because you were the ones foolish enough to get caught."

"A good day to you too, Heero. I thought you cared a bit more about your friends." Duo was trying to sound hurt but he couldn't keep the amusement out of his tone.

"Duo, just get up. Quatre will keep pestering us until you do." Heero was right. Quatre had every intention to keep talking until Duo decided to get up.

"But it's so damn early!"

"I'll be at your place in thirty minutes, Duo, and you'd better be ready." Quatre left the radio on the table and finished his breakfast. The rest of the guys were probably sleeping again for there was no reply, but he was sure that Duo was getting up and cursing about it too.

Duo was still working on his car. He wanted to make some customizations and that meant that for the moment he didn't have means of transportation. Quatre had been picking him up for school since Duo's house was on the way. Duo lived on top of his grandfather's shop. Howard didn't only have a hardware shop but could also fix anything from cars to an old betamax. He was also a locksmith and had taught Duo everything he knew. That made Duo the mechanic, locksmith and electrician of the group.

Grabbing his radio, Quatre got up from the table. He made a short stop to the kitchen to thank the maid for breakfast, and then headed upstairs to his room. After placing his books in his backpack, Quatre took off his uniform blazer and tie, folding them and putting them on the backpack too. He opened the first two buttons of his shirt and ran his hands through his hair, making it a bit messy.

The bells from the big old clock in the hallway announced that it was six o'clock already. Quatre and Duo had to be in school at six thirty so he should get going. He took his black leather jacket from the closet and put it on. After placing the radio in the inside pocket, he pulled the zipper up. Finding his keys on the bedside table and his helmet on the chair by the window, Quatre took his backpack and headed outside.

* * *

  
Duo Maxwell gripped the small metal bar at the back of his seat tighter. He would think that by now he should be used to Quatre's ridiculously fast driving, but he was not. Very carefully, Duo moved his right hand from the back, still keeping his death grip with the left, and put it around Quatre's waist. Duo didn't care if Quatre was having trouble breathing. The only thing in his mind was keeping himself from falling off the bike.

"Scared?" Quatre's voice sounded in the small speakers Duo had installed inside the bike's helmets. It was very difficult to communicate over the loud roar of the engine and the street sounds, so Duo had decided to install a small communication device. It was good to know that it worked, but not when Quatre teased him, chuckled, and then accelerated.

"For Christ sake, Quatre! Are you in a hurry to get to school?" Duo would never admit that he was, in fact, a bit nervous. He knew Quatre was a good driver, but his survival instincts were telling him that no man was meant to go that fast. Of course, none of that applied when he was the one behind the wheel. Duo didn't know why but he always felt a lot more confident when he was the one driving, and also, he was the only one crazy enough to race Quatre. The others could drive just as fast but they didn't see the need to do that on every day basis. Quatre and Duo, on the other hand, lived for speed.

"I always drive like this," answered Quatre, and it was true.

Duo could feel his heart calming down. This wasn't the first time he had ridden with Quatre and it wouldn't be the last, and Duo had to admit that he liked the speed too. Cool. Now that that small and embarrassing moment of panic was out of the way, Duo could go back to enjoying the ride. "I'm still in no hurry to see Une's face."

"And you think I am?" Quatre snorted. "But if we don't get there on time she'll give us even more detention. I don't know about you, but I don't fancy getting up at five am."

A yawn was the only answer Duo gave. This after and before school detention was certainly a cruel and unusual punishment, and Duo planned to tell that to Une as soon as he saw her. Duo could never be considered a morning person. He hated to get up early, especially if it was to get to school. They would need to get back at Druffus. It was his fault for ratting them out. Maybe if they put some laxative in his coffee... nah, they've done that before. They would have to think of something different. Duo hated not to be original.

Before Duo could ask Quatre for his opinions on the matter, the Saint Charles Academy came into view. Duo always thought it was weird that the school was named after a saint if it wasn't a catholic school. Quatre had explained something about the name giving it status but Duo still thought it was deceiving. With a campus like the one the school had, they didn't really need a fancy name.

The school used to be an old mansion that dated back to the eighteen hundreds. It had been transformed into a school roughly fifty years ago when a group of influential families joined together to buy the mansion to give their kids a proper place to study. The main house was surrounded by a big garden, part of it which had become the faculty and student parking lot, and the garden was circled by a two feet tall stone wall. From the outside only the tall roof tops could be seen, and none of the large stone structure that was the school.

The exterior had been kept the same way for aesthetic reasons but the inside of the house had been completely redone. It was now a three floor modern school with classrooms, labs, computer rooms, a gym and even a pool. Yes, Saint Charles Academy was a work of art and only the elite kids of the city attended there.

That's why Duo had been so reluctant to go there when he had been offered his scholarship. After all, what did he have in common with a bunch of snob kids who had a castle for a school? However, between his older brother Solo and his grandfather, they had convinced him that he couldn't miss an opportunity like that. Saint Charles could be a place for the snobs but it was also the best school around, with a great faculty, academic opportunities and connections with all the important colleges. Duo had thought that he would spend all his time in Saint Charles studying and playing basketball. He never thought he would make a friend there. The place was packed with rich kids who would never have anything in common with him. Duo's pessimism lasted about two hours, since he was fortunate enough to meet Quatre on the first day there. A grin spread on Duo's face. Stupid Quatre, he just had to prove Duo wrong.

The bike stopped harshly just a few centimeters from the school gate. Duo pulled up the visor of his helmet and noticed Quatre doing the same.

A fat man with glasses emerged from the security boot by the gate and glared at them. "Principal Une is waiting for you." An annoying smile appeared on his face. "Better not be late or you might have even more detention."

"A good morning to you too, Druffus," said Duo, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "Been here for long?"

The man glared again. "My name is Dreifuss, Maxwell!"

"That's what I said, Druffus." Duo smiled, innocently. "You'd better check your hearing."

It was hard not to laugh out loud. Druffus had a way of turning an interesting shade of red every time he was angry. He looked like a tomato with glasses.

"Une won't be pleased if we are late because you didn't open the gate," said Quatre, calmly, before Druffus could say anything. The man gave them another glare and then pushed the button to open the electric gate.

Quatre accelerated and Duo turned and waved at Druffus. "Enjoy your coffee," he said as the bike moved away from the gate and into the school's parking lot.

"You didn't do anything to his coffee, right?" asked Quatre, sounding far too amused.

"Nah, but he doesn't know that."

Quatre laughed and parked his bike in the usual spot. Only two other people drove bikes to school and one of them was Heero, so there really was no problem with bike parking spaces. Quatre turned off the engine and climbed off the bike. He took his helmet off and walked to the back of the bike to collect his backpack. Duo followed and gave Quatre his helmet so he could put it away.

"There's Une." Duo pointed to the stairs leading up to the mansion. "She doesn't look happy."

"Une never looks happy." Quatre walked towards the stairs and Duo followed.

"Do I need to remind you, gentlemen, that we have a dress code?" Une glared at Quatre's leather jacket, Duo's jean jacket and their lack of ties. "You can't be in school until you are properly dressed. I suggest you hurry up, or you'll be late for your detention."

Without wasting any time, both Duo and Quatre took off their jackets, got their ties from their backpacks, tying the knot quickly from experience. Then they put on their blue blazers and buttoned them up.

Une crossed her arms above her chest. "I believe the shirts aren't tucked."

Duo raised his hands. "Give us a break, you can't see them."

"Excuse me, Principal Une," said Quatre with that polite charming tone that could convince a dog it was really a cat. "Since we weren't in school when we dressed, as you said we couldn't be in school unless we had the uniform, and you can't see our shirts with our blazers on, you have no way of knowing if our shirts are tucked in or not." He dared to give her a smile.

Une raised an eyebrow and for a moment Duo thought they were in for a lecture. However, she just turned around and started climbing the stairs. "Follow me, gentlemen."

Duo and Quatre walked up the stairs after her. They walked slowly and without enthusiasm. Detention wasn't really one of their favorite pastimes, even if they seemed to spend a whole lot of time in it. Between the five of them they probably had earned a year's worth of detention. It wasn't that they liked causing trouble. They just had minor misunderstandings with some of the school rules.

The school was almost empty. The only people in the corridors were a few staff members. All of them greeted Quatre and Duo as they walked soon reached the Assembly room, which was basically a classroom big enough to hold the entire student body.

"We'll be having an assembly this morning," explained Une. "The upgrades to our security system are finally complete and Mr. Tsubarov is going to give us all some information about how things will be working from now on." She gave them a look. "It's important that you and your friends pay special attention. Once the system is activated you could get seriously hurt by trying to climb the outer walls."

Quatre and Duo nodded, even if they knew that once Heero had finished hacking into the system, the new security would be nothing to worry about. It was good to have friends with skills. It made life a lot easier.

"Gentlemen," continued Une. "You have one hour to mop the floor of this room and arrange the seats. The students will be directed here as soon as they arrive, and I expect things to be ready for the assembly by then." She pointed at the two mops and the bucket of water that were in a corner of the room, near the rows of seats Quatre and Duo would have to arrange in lines for the students to use later. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an early meeting with Mr. Tsubarov. Enjoy your detention."

Duo and Quatre remained where they were standing until Une left the room closing the door behind her. "Fuck!" Duo wasn't feeling very happy about his detention right now.

"I agree whole heartedly," said Quatre, walking towards the corner with a resigned expression. "This sucks."

Mustering the same enthusiasm as his companion, Duo followed. "It could be worse." Duo took the mop and soaked it in the soap water.

"I know. We are lucky Une has a soft spot for us." Quatre took off his blazer and left it on a chair before grabbing his own mop and soaking it. Duo still remembered the first time he had seen Quatre do that, and how he had waited for a disgusted look to appear on his friend's face. As it turned out, Quatre had had to mop the school floors since 5th grade -he wasn't really the well behaved rich boy he appeared to be- and he was very used to the task.

"You're telling me." Duo decided that Quatre had the right idea and took off his blazer too. "After all the times I've gotten in trouble, she has never threatened to take away my scholarship. Not even once."

"Don't even say that." Quatre grumbled something and loosened the knot of his tie. "I hate this thing."

Duo smiled. Quatre could be a brat when he wanted to. "So, have you made a decision yet? Who's it gonna be, Trowa or Wufei? Or are you going to listen to me, otherwise known as the voice of reason, and pick them both?"

Quatre continued working, never lifting his head from the floor, avoiding eye contact. "You might be many things, Duo, but you are certainly not the voice of reason."

"Avoiding the subject, Cat? You're not very good at it, you know I can see right through you."

Quatre sighed and this time he did stop mopping. "I haven't decided anything yet. And to tell the truth I don't really think it's my decision to make. I'm not even sure what Trowa and Wufei think." He took his mop and put it in a corner, and then started to place the plastic chairs on the assembly room floor.

"Don't kid yourself, Cat. You know they want you." Duo left his mop and began to work on setting the chairs too. "Wufei has been your friend since you were five, and you can read Trowa like a book, so don't pretend you don't know what's going on."

"So, have you tried that lip biting thing with Heero yet?" asked Quatre, trying to sound casual and not managing it at all.

Duo put a chair in the floor a little too loudly. "Fine, avoid the subject. You know you are going to have to face them sometime, right?"

"Sometime isn't now." Quatre looked at Duo. "Just drop it for a while. I'm thinking about it. I'm just not sure yet."

Duo smiled, dropped the chair he was carrying and gave Quatre a one arm hug. "I'm here if you want to talk."

Quatre returned the hug. "Yes, I know."

They worked in silence for a while. Duo figured Quatre needed a moment to think so he let him be. They were almost done when the first students started entering the room and taking their seats, pretty much ignoring Quatre and Duo; maybe because it wasn't a rare sight to see them punished or maybe because no one really cared about them. They weren't part of the popular crowd. They, Heero, Wufei and Trowa were seen as trouble makers at best, even if their offences were mostly harmless and they did fairly well in the academic area.

"Ok, let's scramble," said Duo as soon as the last chair was in its place. "I definitely don't want to stay here for the security talk."

They were almost at the door when a voice made them stop. "And where do you think you are going? Mr. Winner? Mr. Maxwell?"

Duo turned around and grinned at the woman. "To the bathroom, Miss. Noin."

Noin rolled her eyes. "This assembly is for everyone. Go and take a seat in the front row, now. And don't even think about leaving later, I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"We're fucked," Duo whispered, as they took their seats.

"Tell me about it," said Quatre. "This is gonna be boring."

* * *

Heero Yuy looked around to be sure that no one was watching him before opening the door to the school basement and walking quickly inside.

A year and a half ago, Duo had been busy following an electrical cord in the basement, - certainly with no good intentions in mind - when he had stumbled into a weird looking metal plaque in one of the far walls of the dark room. He wouldn't have thought anything of it if he hadn't stumbled quite literally, or so he'd said. The sound the plaque had made when he had hit it had been unusual; it sounded hollow. So, being Duo, he had brought his toolbox to school the next day and unscrewed the plaque from the wall. It turned out that Duo had been right. There was a staircase behind the plaque. An old wooden one that Duo had climbed with a bit of fear but that they had later found out was perfectly safe. On the top of the staircase, there was a door with an old lock. It was a good thing that Duo had known how to pick locks since he was ten, so he had been able to get inside without a problem. What he'd found was a broad windowless room that had probably been a storage room back when the school functioned as a manor, and was now their secret hideout.

Heero reached the metal plaque and took out his key, inserting it in the small lock that, in the darkness of the basement, practically couldn't be seen. They had fixed the metal plaque so it would work like a door and Duo had installed that lock and as well as a replacing the old one from the room upstairs. Heero had insisted on both locks. If Duo could find that storage room, there was a chance that someone else would notice the metal plaque.

He closed the plaque behind him, knowing that it would lock automatically, and climbed the dark stairs. There were sixteen steps. He had climbed them so many times that he didn't need the light. That was another thing he had insisted on. If they installed a lamp on the stairs then some light would be seen from the outside. That would have been a dead giveaway.

Using his fingers to find the second lock, a bigger one, Heero inserted the key and opened the door. He closed it behind him and turned the lights on. It had taken them almost a week to install their two lamps and the other electrical outlets in the room. Duo had to tap into the main electrical line to be able to do that. Little by little they had turned the room into a home. Besides the lamps, they had brought a carpet, some inflatable furniture and other little things that they preferred to leave there than take home everyday, and for the last four days, Heero had left his laptop.

It wasn't something he usually did, but he was trying to hack into the new security system and it had proven to be more difficult that he had expected. He had designed a program to decode highly secured systems, and it had been running for the last four days. It had been hell being without his computer at home. J would never let him borrow his own so Heero was stuck using one of the old ones that weren't nearly as good as his. Not many computers were as good as his. Heero had built it with J, and very few people in the world had the connections and knowledge J did, and even less would share that knowledge with their underage nephew. But J was a bit of an eccentric, which made Heero's life a lot more interesting.

The computer was still where Heero had left it the day before. He moved the mouse and the screen came to life, showing that the program was ninety-seven percent done. The sound of the door opening drew Heero's attention, and he turned to see Wufei walk into the room.

"Is it done?" Wufei asked, putting his backpack on the floor and gesturing to the laptop.

"Almost."

Wufei walked to the electric blue inflatable chair next to Heero, and sat down. "I guess Quatre and Duo didn't manage to escape the assembly. They would be here by now."

Heero nodded. "It's their fault for getting caught."

The assembly would probably take all first period. Heero didn't envy Quatre and Duo. To have to sit and listen to that old guy Tsubarov give a speech about the new security system couldn't be fun. "They are definitely going to get back at Dreifuss after this."

Wufei chuckled. "Knowing them, they are already plotting something."

"Hopefully they won't get caught this time." Heero frowned. "You think Quatre's father will go through with it?"

There was no need to specify. They all knew that Quatre's father had been threatening to send him away to a boarding school if he didn't correct his attitude. Apparently Quatre was not the perfect Winner child his father wanted him to be, and he was running out of ways to keep his son in line. Lately, the threats had become more frequent and Heero was starting to get worried.

"Mr. Winner has been talking about boarding schools since Quatre was thirteen." Wufei crossed his arms above his chest. "I doubt he'll go through with it. He might not like Quatre's behavior but I doubt he would want to be apart from him."

Heero was still frowning but he nodded at Wufei. Quatre hardly spent time with his father as it was but if Wufei said that Mr. Winner would not send Quatre away then Heero believed him. After all, Wufei had known Quatre the longest and his dad worked closely with Quatre's father. "Is your father in Boston too?"

"Yes. They are supposed to close a very big deal today. It's worth millions."

Before Heero could answer anything, there was a short beep from the laptop. He turned around and looked at the screen. "I'm in."

* * *

Trowa hit the brakes at the same time he opened the window and extended his hand to grab the ticket. He was pushing the accelerator again before the attendant had time to let go of the ticket. The mall parking lot was fairly empty at that time of the morning so Trowa had no problem finding a space. He took his backpack, put the ticket in his pocket, and ran out of the parking lot.

It was lucky that the school was only a block away, and that the mall parking lot was free. Four days a week Trowa found himself parking there. If he didn't want Dreifuss to report him for being late he needed to get inside the school unnoticed, which was difficult when you were driving a jeep.

The best place to sneak into the school was the southern wall. There wasn't much traffic on that road and the best thing was that it was right beside the pool heating machines, so no one ever went there. Arriving at the correct spot, Trowa took a running start and jumped. His right foot hit the wall while his fingers grasped the edge of the three foot tall stone wall. Trowa pulled himself up easily, and then jumped to the other side, landing safely on his feet. Trowa had to suppress the urge to bow. Old habits die hard.

His parents always insisted that Trowa keep up with his training, even if they wouldn't approve the uses Trowa had found for his acrobatic skills. And people thought that growing up in a circus didn't prepare children for real life.

Trowa started to walk slowly towards the main hall so he could sneak into the basement. He was almost there when he saw one of the school guards. He pressed himself to the wall, waiting for the guard to walk by. Trowa had already accumulated more tardiness that any other student. If he got caught sneaking into school late, he would be suspended, and Catherine, dear sister or not, would kill him.

The guard was almost gone when Trowa noticed a man he had never seen before, dressed in black, walk behind the guard. The man raised his hand. He was holding a gun. Then he shot, and a small dart lounged itself into the guard's back. The guard collapsed.

Trowa must have made a sound because the man turned towards him raising his gun again. Trowa ran, not daring to look back. Before him was a low roof. He headed towards it as fast as he could, jumping above it without difficulty.

The man in the ground was yelling at him. Trowa ignored him and used a pipeline to climb further up. He didn't stop until he reached the East wing roof, then he allowed himself to turn and look down. There were men dressed in black everywhere, and all of them were carrying guns like the first one. Trowa crouched, trying to hide himself, and leaned against one of the chimneys. He opened the front pocket of his backpack and took out his radio. "Heero, what the hell is going on?"


	2. Chapter 2

Lady Une looked at the several screens showing the perimeter of the school. The new security was much more than she had expected. Almost everything in the school was now computerized and controlled from this very room. Surveillance cameras had been installed all over the campus to be able to monitor everything that happened inside and in the surrounding area. Tsubarov was sitting beside her, using the computers to show her the different improvements made over the previous system.

The main monitor was showing a tri-dimensional map of the school perimeter, and Tsubarov was explaining the modifications made on the structure to incorporate the new electrical equipment. Something in one of the smaller monitors caught Une's attention. She could see the east garden and one of the security guards making his rounds. A man clad in black that she had never seen before was walking behind him. Before she could wonder about the identity of the man, he took out a gun and shot the guard.

"What the hell?" Une pointed at the monitor. "Tsubarov, do something about it!"

"I am, Lady," he said, his voice too calm, and filled with fake sweetness. "I'm taking over your school."

Une turned from the monitor to look at the smiling face of the security chief. "You're what?"

"I am taking over your school," Tsubarov replied. "And it's going rather well if I might say so myself. I was going to wait until my associates were done securing your personnel before informing you about this new development, but there's no harm done in being a little ahead of schedule."

Une understood then. Everything Tsubarov had been doing in the school for the last three weeks had been a plot. She had invited him to the school, practically opened the doors for him, and he had used the opportunity to learn everything about the school, and change whatever didn't fit his needs. Without thinking about it, she closed a fist and aimed an awkward punch at Tsubarov's wrinkled face.

Apparently he had been waiting for it because he blocked it easily and forced her hand down. Standing abruptly from her chair, Une tried to free herself from Tsubarov's grasp. When it didn't work she used her other hand to hit him in the shoulder. This time the fist connected.

She snatched her hand back and turned around. After only two steps the door of the security room opened and Une was faced with two armed men.

"I suggest you take a seat, Lady." Tsubarov's voice sounded behind her. "Cooperation is in your best interest."

Realizing that there wasn't a way out, Une turned and glared at Tsubarov but sat down nonetheless. "This was all planned from the start," she muttered quietly to herself.

Tsubarov let out a hoarse laugh. "This has been planned carefully. I have now complete control of the school, and if you want to spare the lives of the students, Lady, you will cooperate."

With the modifications done to the security system, now Tsubarov could control everything in the school: the phone lines, the internet, the gates, the alarms and the access to every restricted room. The armed men were shooting at the staff, and Une wasn't even sure what had happened to the children or teachers. "You think you can get money out of this madness?" She looked at Tsubarov as if he was no more than an insect.

"I know I can," he said, grinning. "I believe we are late for the assembly, Lady, but before we head out to meet the children we need to make some ground rules. I believe discipline is the pillar of a school."

Une clenched her fists but kept silent.

"You will inform the students that today's classes have been canceled in favor of a security exercise. I'll be in charge with the help of the extra staff," he said, pointing at the armed men at the entrance. "I'm sure you'll make that clear for the students."

"What about the teachers?" Une asked.

Tsubarov typed a few commands on the computer and soon one of the screens was filled with the image of the teachers' room. The whole faculty was gathered there, and surrounded by armed men. "I'm sure the teachers won't be a problem."

Une gulped. She was had hoped that the teachers could do something but apparently that wasn't really an option.

Tsubarov coughed to get her attention. "I'll need you to gather some students for a special class," he continued, handing her a list. "If these instructions are followed, I'll let the teachers and the two upper grades go. It's all in your hands, Lady."

She unfolded the paper and read the names in a soft voice. "Quatre Raberba Winner, Relena Peacecraft, Dorothy Catalonia, Trowa Barton, Silvia Noventa..." She raised her eyes from the paper and glared at Tsubarov.

"You are aware, Lady, that ten of the richest kids of the country attend Saint Charles Academy, right? Now let's go, we shouldn't keep the children waiting."

Une followed Tsubarov out the door. The hallways were filled with armed men, and two more were trailing behind her, making sure she wouldn't try anything. The students were all gathered in the assembly, but only one teacher was there. Lucrezia gave Une an alarmed look as soon as Une entered the room. Une just gave her a reassuring nod. The teacher kept looking at the group suspiciously but remained quiet.

Stepping on the stage, Une asked for silence and when the last murmurs had quietened down, she began. "Good morning students. We called this assembly to bring you up to date with the new security system that was installed in the school and to fill you in the different changes. Since the new system is so radically different from the last, we are going to dedicate today to an exercise."

There were whispers all over the room as the students leaned over to discuss the unusual turn of events. Most of them sounded excited. "Mr. Tsubarov," said Une, raising her voice and effectively getting the students to quiet down again, "will be in charge of today's activities." She turned to look at him, and noticed that he had a file in his hand, with the names and photos of the students on the list he had given her.

Tsubarov had played his cards smartly. He had used the parents fear for their children's security as a way into the school. There was no doubt that the real targets of the operation were the kids on the list, and Tsubarov had managed to get them all. Une didn't want to help, but she knew that if she didn't do as Tsubarov said, then all the kids would be in danger. She needed to focus on getting as many students out of the school as possible, and then she could focus on the remaining ones.

She took a deep breath and continued. "Some students were picked to attend a special class today that will give you more information on the workings of the system." Tsubarov was already walking down the stage and heading towards the students, file in hand. "Please remain seated while we gather the group." Une hurried after Tsubarov.

He was already in front of a student and Une felt a knot in her stomach when she saw who it was. Quatre Winner and Duo Maxwell were known for skipping assemblies, why in heavens name had they picked today to start assisting?

"Quatre Raberba Winner," said Tsubarov, grinning. "Please come with me."

Quatre didn't look too sure. He turned to Une, possibly searching for answers. She could only lower her eyes and nod. Quatre stood up but before he could follow Tsubarov, Duo stopped them. "I'm not in this special class?" he asked Tsubarov, standing beside Quatre.

"What's your name?" asked Tsubarov, regarding Duo with contempt.

"Duo Maxwell."

Tsubarov shook his head. "Maybe another time," He turned around, and put a hand on Quatre's shoulder.

Quatre immediately took a step back and removed the hand. He and Duo were glaring at Tsubarov.

The armed men that had followed Une and Tsubarov into the assembly stepped forward. There was a moment of tension before Tsubarov shook his head and they moved back. "Well, if it means that much to you, young man, you can attend this class."

Quatre and Duo, however, didn't move, glares still in place.

Before another word could be said, Lucrezia stepped between Tsubarov and the students. "Can I ask what this is all about?"

Tsubarov was quiet for a moment. Behind him Une gave Lucrezia a sad look. Things were out of their hands.

"Why don't you accompany the students in this special class?" asked Tsubarov. "Just to make sure that everything runs smoothly." He gave her a smile and then turned to Une.

"Get the rest of the kids," he whispered, to her, the anger evident in his voice. He waved his hand and one of the armed men stepped forward. "Nichol, go with her."

Tsubarov went to the stage to address the students, and Nichol pushed her forward, keeping her away from Lucrezia, Quatre and Duo. With a silent curse, Une went to find the rest of the students on the list. Hopefully some of them wouldn't be there.

* * *

"I have no signal," said Wufei, glaring at the cellphone in his hand. "We've never had signal problems here." It was getting increasingly difficult to hide the worried tone from his voice. Almost at the same time Trowa had contacted them, Heero had gained access to the security cameras and what they had seen was not good.

All the teachers and staff of the school were being held in a room at gun point or were sedated. There were unknown men all over the school, all of them carrying guns and portable radios. Someone had taken over the school. Duo and Quatre were probably trapped in the assembly room with all the other students, and Wufei couldn't get a signal to call the police.

The new security system seemed to control everything and while Heero had access he was still getting familiar with the system as he tried to get around undetected. The students in the assembly room seemed to be oblivious to what was happening. Wufei and Heero could only watch, feeling helpless, as the men executed their plan. With the cellphone signals dead there was no way to contact the police.

Heero pressed a button in his radio. "Zero three, where are you?" They had decided to use only their code names from now on. The men taking over the school all had radios and it was possible for one of them to stumble onto their frequency.

"On the East roof," Trowa's voice replied, "just above the library."

Wufei turned down the volume of his own radio. He could hear everything well enough from Heero's. Duo and Quatre had probably turned theirs off. Just a week after they got them Trowa had forgotten to turn it off during class and the teacher and students had heard Duo and Heero coordinating how to skip Latin. Since then they were very careful to turn off their radios when they were involved in academic activities.

Heero spoke into the radio. "Do you have a signal on your cellphone?" He had just taken out his own phone from his back pocket and was glaring at it. "Mine's dead too," he told Wufei.

"No," answered Trowa. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Someone has taken over the school," said Wufei, using his own radio. "You'd better lay low." Right now, Trowa was in a very risky situation. One of the men had seen him and they were probably searching for him. If someone knew his way around the roof tops it was Trowa, but no matter how many acrobatic skills he had acquired growing up in a circus, he was no match for men with guns.

"Oh fuck!" Heero cursed, and glared at the laptop monitor.

Wufei moved closer to get a better look, and Heero moved to the side.

"What the… What the hell is that man doing with Quatre and Duo?" The screen was showing the assembly room, and Heero had zoomed to the front row where an armed man was escorting Duo, Quatre and Miss. Noin out of the room, while another one was followed by other students.

Wufei felt like his chest was being crushed. He recognized the feeling as panic, something he hadn't truly felt in four years. His breathing was getting faster and he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on taking slow breaths. He knew how to calm himself. His father had taught him to meditate since he was very young, it was part of the martial arts training, but now focusing was taking longer than usual.

Inhale, wait, exhale.

Four years ago, he had spent that horribly long day breathing. That was the only thing he could do to remain calm, to banish unwanted thoughts. He had been helpless then. There was nothing he could do but wait and try to be strong for Quatre. Things were better now, not perfect but better. Quatre still hated the silence, and couldn't sleep unless he had some music on, but he could sleep with the lights off, and he was able to fall back asleep after a nightmare.

And now it was happening again.

"Wufei!" Heero was in front of him, his hands were on Wufei's shoulders and he was shaking him.

Wufei blinked. "I have to go and get him." He moved Heero's hand away and stood up, heading for the door.

Heero got to the door before Wufei did and stood in front of it, blocking it. "Wufei, what's wrong?"

"They are taking him. Armed men are taking him. That's what's wrong." Wufei knew he was raising his voice more than necessary. His control, if he had any left, was slipping, and his concern was clear for Heero to see.

Leaning back on the door, Heero spoke in a very controlled tone, looking directly at Wufei's eyes. "Quatre and Duo are together. It's not wise just to rush over there without a plan. What can we do against guns?"

Wufei clenched his fists. He was powerless again. He forced himself to count to five while taking deep breaths. Quatre was with Duo. Even if Duo didn't know about what had happened, he would take care of Quatre. An image of Quatre lying in a hospital bed, looking pale and lost appeared in Wufei's mind. He shook his head and whispered, "He's strong."

Heero gave him a look. "What are you not telling me?"

Quatre's father and the police had managed to keep the kidnapping a secret. Only a few people knew, and when Quatre had returned to school a week later the official story was that he had been in a car accident and needed bed rest. Wufei and Quatre didn't have any other friends in junior high. It wasn't until high school that they met Trowa, Duo and Heero and became close. Still, Quatre didn't like to talk about it, and actually never had, not with Wufei, Iria, his father or the psychologist they had insisted he see after the kidnapping.

One day, just a month after they had all become friends, Duo had told them how his brother had once been in a car accident and broken his leg. He asked if anyone had been in an accident and Quatre had said, "Once, a long time ago," and left the room. That afternoon he had called Wufei and simply said, "Don't tell them."

Wufei exhaled and went to sit in front of the laptop again. "It's not my place to say." He waited until Heero took a seat next to him. "We just need to get them out of there."

Heero nodded and took his radio. "Zero three, they have zero two and zero four." On the screen, Duo, Quatre and the rest of the group were walking outside the assembly room. "I think they are taking them to the art room. Do you think you can intercept them in the labs corridor and signal them to run?"

There was a small pause before Trowa replied. "I'm going. I'll turn the volume down and radio you when we are at a safe distance."

"Take care." Heero put the radio on his lap and brought an image of the corridor on the screen.

Wufei looked and waited.

* * *

Quatre closed his eyes for a moment, trying to keep his breathing even. Relena and Dorothy were walking in front of him, whispering things to each other. Behind him he could hear Sylvia talking with her boyfriend Michael, but Quatre wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. His eyes were fixated on the man several steps in front of him, and more specifically towards the gun he was carrying. Une and Tsubarov had assured the students that the weapons weren't real, but Quatre knew they were.

He disliked guns but he knew how to handle them and had seen enough in his life to recognize a real weapon from a fake one. Ever since he was thirteen Quatre had been surrounded by bodyguards, at least three of them, following him everywhere he went. At first, Quatre had merely tolerated them but little by little they had become closer. They were the first to teach Quatre about weapons, and they even showed him some self defense moves. However, Quatre still found terribly annoying having three people tagging along wherever he went. It was a portable cage, but a cage nonetheless. It wasn't until last year that Quatre had managed to convince his father to lower his security. It had taken a lot of time, arguments and especially the help of the Maguanacs, but now Quatre was free to go anywhere alone, as long as he took the necessary precautions.

Everywhere Quatre went had to be previously checked by his security, and even if Quatre was allowed to go alone he needed to communicate often and always be on time. In addition he carried two cellphones, one on his backpack and one on himself. His father had also insisted in giving him a watch with two panic buttons: one that set off a very loud alarm to alert people that he was in danger, and the other was a silent one that his father's bodyguards could pick up.

After seeing the gunmen, Quatre had been very tempted to press the second button but his father and his bodyguards were probably landing in Boston just about now, too far away to help.

A hand squeezed his shoulder softly, and Quatre moved his eyes away from the gun to see Duo watching him. "Are you okay?" Duo whispered.

Quatre nodded and mumbled, "Yes, it's nothing."

It probably wasn't. Quatre was paranoid and he knew it. It had taken him months to get used to his bodyguards because no matter how much he tried, he couldn't feel at ease with armed men around him, even if they were supposed to protect him. The same thing had happened when he went to the Maguanacs. The first weeks there had been very hard. He had learnt to control his reaction better but he still had a long way to go.

"I don't like this," said Duo, looking at the gunman leading them to the art room.

"It's that why you came with me?" Quatre asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Duo looked insulted for a moment. "Like I was gonna let them take you. We need to stick together."

Quatre nodded but he wasn't really sure about it. Whatever the men wanted, they hadn't wanted Duo, and Quatre wondered how wisely Duo had acted.

"Quatre," Duo's voice sounded firmer than before. "We are going to be alright."

Quatre nodded again. He didn't want to lie with words. He was getting more worried by the minute and no matter how much he tried to convince himself that it was just his mind playing tricks, he couldn't help but be suspicious.

Something hit Quatre on the side of the neck. He looked down and saw the small paper ball on the floor. Raising his head as little as possible, he looked up and out of the corner of his eye saw Trowa, sitting on one of the roof beams. Shifting slowly to get a better view without drawing attention, Quatre looked directly into Trowa's eyes. With a simple movement of his hand, Trowa signaled the labs. Trowa was telling them to run. It was risky and Quatre knew it but he didn't trust the gunmen and he was ready to take any chance to get away.

Leaning slightly towards Duo, Quatre whispered. "Don't look. Trowa's here. After I nod, count to three and run to the labs. We are getting out of here."

There was a deep intake of breath from Duo. "Got you."

Taking a deep breath himself, Quatre nodded, and counted to three. He and Duo dashed towards the lab at the same time. The man holding the rear shouted at them to stop, but they ignored him. The heavy steps behind them told Quatre that they were being followed. Something flew right by his ear. Damn! They were shooting at them. Just when they were about to reach the labs door, a blurry figure fell from above; it was Trowa. The three of them got inside the room, closing the door harshly behind them, and locking it from the inside.

"Now what?" asked Duo, trying to catch his breath.

Trowa took his radio from his pocket, turned the volume up and pushed a button. "Zero One, we're in the physics lab. Which way?"

They were hitting the door hard from outside, trying to break it.

"The ducts," Heero replied. "It's the only clear way."

They had never used the ventilation ducts to move around the school. When they didn't want to be seen they usually used the roof, but the ducts ran clearly visible around the whole school, and they would probably fit in there.

Trowa jumped on a table and reached up, trying to move a panel so they could climb up. "The lid is screwed on. I can't open it."

"I'm way ahead of you." Duo had moved to the supply closet, coming back with a toolbox. He handed a screwdriver to Trowa, one to Quatre and took one himself. "Let's move quickly. I don't think we have a lot of time."

Quatre and Duo climbed on the table and between the three of them they had the lid unscrewed in a few minutes.

Duo grabbed the edges of the duct and, with a little push from Trowa, climbed up. "Good news is that I don't think any of those guys will fit here," he said, giving Quatre a hand and helping him up. "Bad news is that we are going to have trouble moving."

The moment he squeezed in the duct Quatre knew Duo was right. He needed to stay on his hands and knees, and he could feel the top panel pressing against his back. Trowa handed him the three backpacks before climbing up himself.

"We can't put the lid back from the inside," said Trowa. "We better get a move on then. Eventually they'll open the door."

The duct was dark and after they moved away from the opening Quatre could no longer see. He bumped into Duo many times and he could feel Trowa's hand brushing his legs from time to time.

"Any idea where we're going?" asked Duo.

"Just move ahead until you find an intersection," replied Trowa. "Then we ask Heero. He has the building plans."

Quatre stopped and Trowa bumped into him. "So they are really taking over the school." His voice sounded way too sad to him. "They are kidnapping us." His breathing was uneven again and Quatre felt his heart beating faster and faster.

"Yes. The new security system... it was all a plot." Trowa brushed Quatre's leg again but Quatre was sure that this time it was intentional. "Quatre, we need to keep moving."

Trowa was right. His hands were shaking, but Quatre still tried to crawl forward. He didn't like small dark spaces, he didn't like the silence that had settled but worse of all he didn't like the feeling of losing control. "Duo? Talk to me."

Not sound came for a moment but then Duo started to whisper. He talked about the repairs he was making in his car, and Solo's new girlfriend. He told the story of how Howard had once been arrested for refusing to take off his sunglasses off after a policeman had stopped him for speeding.

Quatre listened and forced himself to focus solely on Duo's voice. Once in a while Trowa would use the radio to ask Heero for directions, and sometimes it was Wufei who replied. Quatre held on to those voices. He wasn't alone and he wasn't helpless. They were getting out.

"You are nearly there," said Heero, after they had been crawling for about twenty minutes. "Take the next left and you'll reach a dead end. You'll be above the basement stairs."

"Is it clear?" Trowa asked.

"There are no cameras in the basement," said Heero, "but we have been monitoring the hallway and no one has stepped in."

That was good enough for Quatre. Just a few more minutes and they would be able to get out. He could hold on a few more minutes.

Trowa's small cough was the first sign that something was wrong. Quatre felt the smoke entering his lungs before he felt the sting in his eyes.

"They are smoking us out," said Duo, between coughs.

Quatre closed his eyes, trying desperately to breathe. They didn't have a few minutes anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

Duo coughed violently. Quatre and Trowa had stopped moving and were coughing loudly too. Duo could feel his radio vibrate. Heero and Wufei were trying to tell them something but Duo couldn't understand them. The last thing they had said was that the way out was near. Duo closed his eyes, since the smoke had irritated them enough to have tears running down his cheeks, and forced himself to move forward. They weren't that far away, they could make it.

Sensing that Quatre wasn't moving, Duo reached back with his hand and felt around until he found Quatre's hand. Quatre immediately grasped Duo's hand and Duo squeezed softly before gently pulling Quatre, urging him to move. Slowly, Quatre began to follow and Duo increased his pace. They didn't have a lot of time.

Suddenly his hand fell on empty air and Duo opened his eyes. They had reached the end of the vent and the last panel below him had been removed. Not wasting any time, Duo awkwardly shifted his feet forward and jumped out of the vent. He landed on his feet but lost his balance and fell to his knees, coughing.

Wufei was standing beside him but before he could help Duo up, Quatre tumbled out of the vent, head first. He landed on his hands and knees and stayed on the ground, gasping between coughs for air. Wufei was immediately crouching beside Quatre and helping him up. Three bags suddenly fell on the floor, followed by Trowa, who jumped from the vent, landing perfectly on his feet.

Duo noticed then that on the floor next to him were the small stool he kept on the backroom, his toolbox and the vent panel. "You kept the screws?" he asked Wufei, already grabbing a screwdriver and climbing on the stool. "We'd better put this back."

Wufei moved away from Quatre and immediately Trowa took his place. Duo smiled at them and waited for Wufei to hand him the panel and the screws. In a few minutes Duo had the panel back in place; no one would even know that they had exited through there. He grabbed his toolbox, Wufei took the stool and they headed quickly to the backroom.

Heero was typing on his laptop but he stopped when he saw them come in. Duo immediately walked towards him. "What the fuck is going on!?" he coughed. His throat was still irritated.

Quatre, Wufei and Trowa sat on the inflatable chairs and Duo took the seat next to Heero.

"Bottom line," said Heero, handing Duo a bottle of water from his backpack, "armed men have taken over the school."

"What?" Duo asked while Quatre had a coughing fit. After taking a sip from the water, Duo closed the bottle and threw it at Quatre, who caught it easily.

"The teachers and all the staff are either unconscious or being held at gun point in the faculty room," Heero continued. "The new security system was all a scam to allow them to take control of the school, and they did."

"They wanted me. They came for me," Quatre said in a small voice. He looked very pale and Duo doubted that it was because of the smoke he had inhaled. Then Quatre blinked and his eyes turned cold, colder than Duo had ever seen. "This is not happening again." He shook his head. "No one else is dying because of me."

Duo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean again?"

"I…" Quatre was touching his neck while he shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

Like hell he wasn't! There was obviously something bothering Quatre very much, and Duo had every intention of finding out what it was. However, before he could say anything, Wufei spoke. "Quatre, they need to know. We are all involved in this. You are not alone." Wufei's tone was firm but gentle, and Duo could hear some sadness there too. What the hell was happening? What didn't he know?

Quatre was nervous. The fingers on his neck kept moving, as if he was touching something, and Duo remembered that Quatre had a small scar there, and now that he thought about it, Quatre had always changed the subject when Duo had asked how he'd gotten it. Finally, Quatre looked at Wufei and nodded once before dropping his eyes to the floor.

Wufei swallowed and then spoke in a controlled voice. "Quatre was kidnapped four years ago." He put a hand on Quatre's shoulder. "He was rescued by the police forty hours later." He leaned back slightly on his seat. "That's the reason his father is so overprotective."

In a moment Duo was out of his chair, kneeling in front of Quatre and hugging him. "Man, Q. I didn't know."

Quatre's body was tense. "I don't want to talk about it," he said, simply.

Duo bit his lip but stood up and went back to his seat, silently. Heero's arms were crossed over his chest and he was studying Quatre carefully, but he didn't look like he was going to ask any questions.

Trowa's eyes were fixed on Quatre's neck. "That's when you got that?"

Wufei didn't answer this time. Quatre kept his eyes on the floor as he said, "I… one of them tried to… tried to kill me. This," his fingers ran over the scar one more time before he finally moved his hand away, "was as far as he got."

It took a moment for Duo to realize that he was holding his breath. "What happened in the vent?" he asked suddenly. "Are you claustrophobic, Cat?"

Quatre sighed. "I just don't like dark and silent places." He ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Duo. "Can we please stop talking about this?"

They all nodded reluctantly.

Heero turned back to his laptop and, for a few moments, the only sound in the room was his typing. "Excluding Duo," he said, breaking the silence, "the people they took to the art room are the richest students in the school."

"They are among the richest in the country," Wufei added.

"Tsubarov wasn't very happy that I was coming on the field trip," Duo said. "But Cat and I were about to make a scene so he let me tag along."

Quatre smiled softly. "I can't thank you enough for that, Duo." He then turned to Trowa and said, "I got a peek at the list. Your name was on it."

Trowa frowned slightly. Not many people knew exactly how much money Trowa's family had. After finding out that he had grown in a circus, most kids in school looked down at him and kept their distance. The fact that Trowa wasn't exactly a social person and that he had made friends with Wufei and Quatre had also helped him get labeled as one of the rejects. People thought that Trowa didn't come from a very rich family but the fact was that even though his parents traveled and performed with the circus, they also owned that one and another thirty traveling circus around the world, some which were very famous acts that were sold out months in advance.

"It looks like they did their homework." Duo was starting to understand the gravity of the situation. "We need to call the cops."

"The lines are dead," replied Heero. "And the cellphone signal is being blocked."

"What about the internet?" asked Quatre.

"We can't just send an email to the police," said Trowa. "They wouldn't believe us."

Heero looked at the computer and smirked. "I have an idea."

Duo looked at him in shock. "You are not thinking…" The smirk was still on Heero's face when he started to type and Duo groaned. "Man, Heero, J is crazy!"

"Eccentric," Heero corrected. "And that's just what we need right now."

"Fuck," Duo whispered. "We are gonna get in so much trouble…"

* * *

"What do you mean they escaped?" Tsubarov yelled, while hitting the table with his closed fist.

Before him, Alex shifted from one foot to another. "Sorry, Sir. It was very unexpected. They just ran to one of the labs, barricaded themselves in and crawled into the ventilation system."

"Did you follow them?" Tsubarov was quickly losing his patience. How difficult could it be to control a few teenagers? Unarmed teenagers that shouldn't even be aware that they were being kidnapped?

The fact that the principal was silent and looking amused wasn't helping Tsubarov's temper. The woman had listened quietly to Alex's explanation of what had happened but she hadn't bothered to hide the small smile.

"Sir, the vents are way too small for any of us to crawl into. We did set up a smoke bomb inside, hoping to draw them out."

Tsubarov glared at Alex. "I can see how successful that brilliant idea was." He almost calmed down slightly when he noticed the smile on the principal's face had disappeared. Apparently the idea of them attacking the students with smoke bombs wasn't amusing.

Alex dropped his gaze. "We think they managed to exit the vents beforehand. There's no other explanation."

"Yes there is; you are a moron!" Tsubarov punctuated his words with another hit to the table. "I don't care about the one with the braid, but you will find the Winner boy and bring him to me." The threat of what would happen if Alex didn't was implicit in his voice.

"Yes, Sir!" Alex said and retreated quickly from the control room.

Tsubarov felt like hitting the table again but his hand was already throbbing from the two previous hits. Next time, he would simply take out his anger on Alex's face. The moron couldn't have lost any other hostage? Yes, they were all important but the Winner boy was essential. Without him the whole operation could be a big failure.

Turning to the principal, Tsubarov gave her a threatening look. "These are your students. Problem students according to what you've told me. You should know where they are."

The principal raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would tell you even if I did?"

Tsubarov grabbed the principal's blouse, but her expression didn't change. She wasn't afraid. This woman wasn't easily intimidated. "If you tell me, I won't punish the boys when they are found, and I assure you, they will be."

Brushing Tsubarov's hand away, the principal straightened her blouse and gave him a cold stare. "It you touch any of these students--"

"You'll what, dear?" Tsubarov allowed himself a smile. "What can you do?"

"I'll be sure you are sorry." Her tone suggested it wasn't an empty threat.

The woman wasn't going to help. She probably didn't even know where the boys had gone. "Nichol," he said walking to the man in charge of running the new security system. "Is there any way for the brats to have left the school?"

"No." Nichol typed a command on the keyboard and the screen suddenly displayed a three-dimensional map of the school. "We have land mines in these spots." He gestured to the soccer field at the back and the empty space facing the forest. "The gates are locked and we have posted men on all the exit points and around the perimeter. Not counting the many cameras that are around the school. They are hiding somewhere."

"If the cameras are so effective then why haven't you found where they are hiding?" All this expensive technology and months of preparation, for what? So two smart-ass kids – three including the mysterious one that had supposedly just appeared from the sky – could evade it all somehow? It was ridiculous. Tsubarov wanted them found and he wanted to show them why trying to be smart wasn't really a good idea. Yes, he could take his anger out on them instead of the table. It would be much more satisfying.

"We have many cameras but they aren't everywhere." Nichol displayed various camera feeds on a split screen. "We covered the most important places but the building is big and the perimeter, large. However, I am certain they couldn't have slipped out undetected."

Tsubarov focused on the camera view of the front gate. There was a car there and a woman had just got out to talk to the men at the entrance. He might not know exactly where Quatre Winner was but he did know that he was still in the school, and therefore, still in his custody. It was time to get serious and move to the next stage of the plan, and Alex had better find the brat soon. He took one of the radios from the table and spoke, clearly. "Gentlemen, It's time to make our presence known."

* * *

At first Catherine had thought that maybe she should just leave the paper lying on the living room table where she had found it. Trowa needed to learn to be more responsible and not forget his homework. Really, Catherine couldn't be expected to drive to Saint Charles every day because his brother had forgotten something again. But then she had remembered going to bed at eleven and saying goodnight to his brother who was still working on his paper. She couldn't let him be punished when she knew he had worked so hard at it.

That was why her car was in front of the school gates and she was waiting to be let in. The doorman was new. The chubby short guy Trowa always complained about was nowhere to be seen and this new guy didn't know Catherine and said he needed to confirm her identity before she was let in.

She looked at her watch. If this new doorman didn't move she would be late for her ten thirty class. Maybe she wouldn't be nice to Trowa next time.

When she had asked their parents for permission to go to college and leave the circus for the duration of her schooling she hadn't expected Trowa to ask to go with her. Her little brother had always loved the circus and neither Catherine nor their parents thought he would like to experience life outside the big top. But Trowa had been insistent, and seeing as Catherine was already going, they had agreed to allow Trowa to join her.

Saint Charles Academy was the best school near Catherine's college and the arrangement of living alone with her brother had turned out better than expected. Their parents paid for the apartment and expenses and saw their children whenever they were in town, but the Bartons traveled a lot, so Catherine and Trowa were mostly by themselves.

Catherine liked living with her little brother, but there were moments, like right now, when she would have cheerfully sent him back to the circus and his lions.

With a sigh she opened the car door and stepped out.

"Listen, I'm really late. I'm a registered guardian and my name should be on the list." She started walking towards the gate with Trowa's paper on her hand. "I just need to leave this fo—"

Quick reflexes and years of training allowed Catherine to jump back when the first shot was fired. Instinctively, she took refuge behind the car and put her arms over her head.

What the fuck was going on!?

Why were they shooting at her?

She resisted the urge to close her eyes and did her best to see what was happening around her. The car didn't let her see much, but from the corner of her eye she noticed that there wasn't just one man shooting at her, but at least three.

Finally the noise stopped and Catherine took a deep breath.

It's now or never, she thought as she stood up and ran towards the nearby woods.


	4. Chapter 4

"So what now?" Duo asked as soon as the mail was sent. "We just sit down and wait like good boys?"

They exchanged looks before Trowa asked. "Why? Do you have an idea?"

"I'm not sure one of his ideas is prudent at this time." Wufei glanced at Quatre.

"Well, the way I see it we're trapped here and the rest of the school is being held at gun point, maybe we should do something," Duo said.

"Like what?" Wufei countered. "We are not the cops."

"Doesn't mean we are helpless," Heero said. He had an idea where this was going and he thought Duo might be on to something.

"Exactly," Duo agreed. "Come on, guys, let's be honest here. We know this school better than anyone, and that's including the freak kidnapping it. Heero has already hacked into their system and I bet he could wreak havoc for them. Trowa actually got Q and me away and no one knows or can navigate the roofs like he does. Wufei," Duo gave him a look, "I've seen you train."

"It's too risky." Wufei crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes darted again towards Quatre and Heero understood why he was being reluctant. Only Wufei had been there when Quatre had been kidnapped before. None of them could understand what Wufei had gone through then or why he didn't want to put Quatre at risk again.

"Is it?" Quatre asked. He hadn't missed Wufei's look. "Isn't it better to risk it than hide here like cowards?"

"It's prudent," Wufei insisted but Quatre shook his head.

"Like when my father wouldn't let me leave the house? Prudent like that?"

Wufei winced.

"I got away from that and I might have been helpless then but I'm not now. Your father and the Maguanacs saw to that."

"We're missing something?" Duo asked, stepping between Wufei and Quatre.

"After the kidnapping my father allowed for Quatre to train with us," Wufei explained. "And you are good, Quatre, but it doesn't mean you should act foolishly."

"And the Maguanacs?" Duo asked, cutting Quatre's retort.

"A tribe in the desert, right?" said Trowa. "The one you go to every summer?"

"They're more than that," Quatre said and even Wufei looked curious. "They are relatives, from my mother's side. They travel through the desert and protect the Bedouins and traveling tribes. Some parts of the desert are very dangerous, prone to all type of crime because it's so secluded. They protect the people and by birth I'm one of them. After the kidnapping I convinced my father to let me go to them and they helped me."

"How?" Heero asked, already suspecting where this was going.

"To find my strength. To learn to live with what happened and to make sure I'll know what to do if it ever happens again."

Heero locked eyes with Quatre. "What weapons are the kidnappers carrying?"

"M-16 rifles and Berreta 92 pistols as far as I could see," Quatre answered slowly. "But you knew that already, Heero. Didn't you?

Heero nodded. "J."

"My bodyguards carried Berretas," Quatre admitted. "It was the first weapon I shot. The Maguanacs taught me to handle an M-16."

"Wait, Q. Are you saying those desert guys trained you?"

Quatre shrugged. "It's what they do. They are fighters. It's why my father wanted to keep me away from them but in the end he understood that's what I needed." A look of determination appeared on Quatre's eyes, one that Heero knew meant the blond wasn't backing down.

"How old were you, Heero?" Quatre asked.

"Twelve. J was intelligence," answered Heero.

"Which means he's paranoid like hell and put a gun in his hand as soon as he could," said Duo.

It never hurt to be prepared, J. used to say. Heero had always thought it was one of the soundest things the old man said.

"So you can handle a gun?" Trowa asked Heero. "You both." He looked at Quatre too.

They both nodded gravely.

Duo smirked. "See? I told you we weren't helpless."

* * *

It wasn't like Heero to send a mail to him from school. Actually, it wasn't like Heero to initiate communication in any way or form. That was the first thing that made J suspicious.

He didn't open the e-mail until he ran various tracer programs looking for viruses, bugs, piggy-backs, hidden programs, codes and anything else he could thing of.

The message turned out to be disappointingly plain and it was probably only encrypted because J had taught Heero never to send unencrypted information, no matter how mundane it was. There was always someone watching. J should know, he used to be the one watching (and still was but now he wasn't in the government payroll) and he made sure that Heero wasn't foolish enough to be one of the naïve ones being spied on.

_Someone has taken over the school. Phones down. Perimeter closed. Hacked into their system. Alert the police._

J read the mail twice before searching for the Saint Charles school system. It took him only a moment to realize that the system was hiding behind so many firewalls and tramps that it would take him a long time just trying to crack it and there weren't any guarantees.

Whoever had taken over the school knew what they were doing. If Heero had managed to hack into their system then he probably had been working on it for a while, probably days before he even suspected the current situation. J let a smile appear on his lips. Apparently not everything he told the boy fell on deaf ears.

Phones down meant that they hadn't only cut the landlines but jammed the cell phones signals too. That in itself wasn't a very difficult feat to achieve but the school perimeter wasn't small so they probably needed to use several small jamming devices or get their hands in one of the more potent ones.

J drummed the fingers of his good hand on the desk. There were only so many places were they could get that equipment here, but of course there was the chance that they had brought it from abroad. That would be more difficult to track. He sent a few mails to his local contacts anyway. It wouldn't hurt.

The stupid boy hadn't given him enough information on the perpetrators and J wouldn't risk contacting him when he was inside the school perimeter. Heero might have hacked into their system but there was always the chance that he would be discovered. _A very small chance,_ thought J proudly. The boy was good, practically invisible and better than anyone J had seen, and he had seen his fair share.  
He might be retired but J liked to keep tabs on things and see how they were running. The government still contacted him now and then for odd jobs they needed help with; new developments, codes they couldn't break, new security protocols. J was in the know and he liked it that way.

That was just one of the reasons why he had a handy back door to the police headquarters' system. It took him a few minutes to hack into their system and put their security cameras on display. He browsed through it until he saw something interesting. A young woman seemed to be yelling at the officers in front of her. Her clothes were disheveled, her knee scraped and she looked very angry.

J zoomed in and activated the audio feedback.

"My brother is in there," the woman was saying. "I'm not lying! They shot at me, my car is full of holes in front of the gooddamed school!"

"We know you are not lying, miss," a woman officer said. "Captain Marquise is already on his way to the site with a few units. We just need you to give us your statement."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "I've given you my statement four times already!" She stood up. "I'm not wasting any more time here. I'm going to the school."

The officer tried to stop her but the woman brushed the hand away. "My brother has been kidnapped. Do you get that? He's being held by men who tried to kill me so I'm not staying here talking to you."

With that she turned to leave walking fast. The officer didn't try to stop her.

J shut off the audio and instead tapped into the police radio frequency. Apparently they had already been alerted and were on their way, which was much better than J had expected. Simultaneously he made a search for Zechs Marquise.

He was young to be a captain, barely 27, but his record was flawless filled with high profile cases. He had moved fast up the ranks and he was highly respected. J browsed through the files and suddenly stopped when he recognized a name. He read the information in that case and frowned. Was it possible that this was connected to Quatre Winner's kidnapping four years ago?

The police had apparently arrived on the school and confirmed that a third party had taken control of the premises. A hostile third party by the look of the car destroyed in front of the gates.

They had a hostage situation in their hands and were busy settling a command center for what promised to be very long hours.

J sat back on his chair and picked up a phone. He dialed Marquise' direct line and waited.

"I can help you with the Saint Charles kidnapping case," J announced as soon as Marquise picked up. "I have a man on the inside."

* * *

"I think our greatest advantage is Heero's control of their system," Quatre started. "That not only gives us a tactical advantage but also the element of surprise. While they're aware that we're roaming the school they don't know we have access to their computers."

"Can you get control from them?" Duo asked.

"I've been slowly taking control of several systems away from them for a while but there are too many to take them all and I don't want to tip them off." Heero's eyes didn't move from the computer and he kept typing commands at an impressive speed.

"We also have eyes all over the school, which is another advantage," Quatre continued. "I think our main focus should be to assist the police with this information."

"Speaking of which…" Trowa pointed at the split screen of Heero's laptop. The back gardens of the school were visible and figures clad in black, carrying automatic weapons, were climbing the farthest wall.

Heero closed whatever he was doing and brought up the blueprints of that sector.

"What is that?" Wufei asked, pointing to the tri-dimensional blueprint, specifically to the blinking dots buried underground.

"Mines," Heero said at the same moment as Quatre's eyes widened and exclaimed, "They're walking into a trap!"

Duo grabbed his radio and started changing frequencies. "Go back! Abort! There are mines!" There was no answer so he switched to another one. Solo had once told him the police usually used one of three frequencies and when Duo was twelve he would spend the afternoons hidden in Solo's room scanning police frequencies. "Mines! It's mined!"

A loud noise that rumbled the very walls of their hideout interrupted Duo's efforts. He moved his eyes quickly to the screen and watched in horror as another policeman walked into a mine which exploded in a chaos of blood and dirt.

No one spoke for a moment and they watched as the special forces pulled back, dragging the injured with them. One of them wasn't moving and Duo doubted he was even alive. "Fuck!" Duo clenched his fists in frustration.

"I don't think we can hope for a rescue," Trowa said, his voice even. He hadn't turned his eyes away from the screen.

Another silence followed that statement and then Wufei said, "Then we'll just have to do something ourselves." He was looking at Quatre and a small smile appeared on his lips. Quatre's eyes and Duo turned his head away, feeling as if he had just intruded in something private.

"Alright," Duo said. "Sounds like a plan."

"A very basic one," Heero added.

"But a _plan_," Duo insisted, emphasizing the plan part of the sentence.

Trowa rolled his eyes and said in his most deadpan tone, "We're doomed."

"No," Duo smirked, feeling the fear and wariness give way to a genuine feeling of hope. "They are."


End file.
